• Greater Atlanta team leader
• With SPSE since 2015 •
Clarence is one of our veteran team leaders and also one of our most active. His team focuses on evangelizing at university campuses reaching about 20 different public colleges in four different states. The team evangelize 3 days a week and it is not uncommon for them to drive hours to a campus, evangelize all day then drive back. Clarence has one faithful evangelist who joins him for most outings then other team members who jump in depending on the location of the campus outing.
– How do you reach university students?
The students are very needy and very receptive. It is fertile ground. There is much work to do. Souls need to find God. What we share with them, they have never heard before. We find it rewarding to be touching many souls for Christ and His Church.
We engage the students using open ended questions. Would you like a free rosary? Do you go to church? Oh, where do you go? Were you raised in a church? Did your family go to church? What do you think about faith and religion? Should I become Baptist (their church) or should you become Catholic? What do you think? We also print out copies of YouTube sites, Catholic radio, Catholic apps, and key Catholic books that aid conversion. I hand this out to almost everyone. The concept is that if they get hooked on the material, it will form them, and they will likely become Catholic.
– How do you use scripture when evangelizing?
I have my own personal scripture reference handout sheet that I frequently utilize to cover the points that commonly come up. Subjects such as the Eucharist; born again by Baptismal regeneration; One Church; the impossibility of the Church apostasy; Bible alone; oral tradition; the prayers of the saints; ministry of reconciliation; sins leading to death; and the necessity of good works in maintaining one’s salvation on this journey of faith.
Because my faith has been well formed over the years, I am attending two men’s Bible studies. One is at my parish and one is Protestant based in which half of the men are Catholics. The primary reason I attend is to evangelize. My common technique is to allow them to completely share on a specific issue before I add my input. I have been with the men’s Bible study at my church for a number of years and have been very effective at forming these men in the faith.
– What’s One Good Reason to attend the SPSE Immersion?
I attended Immersion 2019 and found it very enjoyable and rewarding. The talks were practical ‘to feet on the ground’ evangelizing. The camaraderie was advantageous. It was very satisfying to hang out with other evangelists after the talks, at lunch, and on the street evangelizing. I was very encouraging to have associated with so many others from around the country. Each of us has something to offer.